Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Someone with a basic income explains how it works

"Perhaps the most transformative effect of basic income
I’ve personally experienced is the power it gives in any negotiation.
For many people, this will be experienced as the power to refuse to work
for insufficiently low wages (potentially nullifying the need for minimum wage laws),
or unacceptable terms of any kind, be it work conditions, hours,
benefits, etc. For freelancers like me, it means asking for what I’m
worth, and also being able to choose to work for free on anything I
consider important enough.

When I didn’t have a basic income, I’d accept a writing
assignment for $50 even if it took me an entire week to research and
write, because $50 is better than $0. If someone wanted to publish
something I’d already written, I’d worry about asking for any
compensation in case asking meant not only not getting paid but not
getting republished. I don’t think I’m alone in these ways either.

Now that I have a basic income, I know my work has value. I know my time has value. I know Ihave value.
I’m never again going to spend a week writing an article for $50 that’s
going to be owned by someone else, but I will and have done it for
$1,000. I’m not going to just allow some publishing company to profit
off of something I’ve previously written without at least asking for a
fee. If they say no, that’s okay, and we can go from there. But I’m not
afraid to ask."

This is a great article from someone who is living with a basic income. He shows how much it can change a life by providing security and consistency.